Shared description
Bedford Park Garden Suburb
Although not originally called a garden suburb, it can realistically claim to be the first such, predating Hampstead Garden Suburb.
The aim of the developer, John Carr, was to create a relatively green landscape, using the existing mature trees in the area, resulting in the relatively unstructured road layout of the initial development.
Development commenced in 1875, Carr joined up with leading architects of the period to create stylish houses in the current Aesthetic style, firstly Edwin William Godwin, with whom he fell out after just a few years, and later Robert Norman Shaw, who was nationally recognised.
With the community and social facilities included in the development, it became a fashionable place to live, with many artistic residents, remaining so for around 40 years.
By the middle of the 20th century it had however declined, with many properties having passed into multiple ownership. Demolition of a couple of properties around 1960 alerted people to the importance of the area, resulting in the formation of the Bedford Park Society. Owing to its efforts, 356 properties, effectively the whole of the initial 1875 to 1885 phase of development were listed by 1967, and the whole area became a conservation area under the auspices of the two London Boroughs, Ealing and Hounslow, in which Bedford Park lies.
The result has been a considerable reversion to single ownership, and virtually complete refurbishment of the houses.
The aim of the developer, John Carr, was to create a relatively green landscape, using the existing mature trees in the area, resulting in the relatively unstructured road layout of the initial development.
Development commenced in 1875, Carr joined up with leading architects of the period to create stylish houses in the current Aesthetic style, firstly Edwin William Godwin, with whom he fell out after just a few years, and later Robert Norman Shaw, who was nationally recognised.
With the community and social facilities included in the development, it became a fashionable place to live, with many artistic residents, remaining so for around 40 years.
By the middle of the 20th century it had however declined, with many properties having passed into multiple ownership. Demolition of a couple of properties around 1960 alerted people to the importance of the area, resulting in the formation of the Bedford Park Society. Owing to its efforts, 356 properties, effectively the whole of the initial 1875 to 1885 phase of development were listed by 1967, and the whole area became a conservation area under the auspices of the two London Boroughs, Ealing and Hounslow, in which Bedford Park lies.
The result has been a considerable reversion to single ownership, and virtually complete refurbishment of the houses.
Created: Tue, 17 Jan 2012, Updated: Tue, 17 Jan 2012
25 images use this description: (all images taken in 2012)
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